No local experience – ARE YOU RACIST?

I’ve been working in recruitment for the last 7 years. Like most recruiters here, I made the leap across the pond for a sunnier life down under and haven’t looked back since.

When I moved to Sydney 3 years ago, I did so with no local experience, no local understanding of the Sydney market and zero understanding of property development either if I’m being honest. I never felt a lack of “local experience” was going to affect my ability to recruit in Sydney. I just thought local experience is something that would come with… well, experience? The key elements of the job are still the same, the fundamentals are the same. I understand how to recruit and understand how to adapt, so in my mind local experience was irrelevant.

However in my first recruitment job in Sydney (not my current company) I quickly learned that in Sydney, local experience is king. I’ve heard stories of managers telling staff things like, if they have a “funny name” OR an international number on their application, don’t even open it; something I found particularly offensive considering I don’t exactly have a “John Smith” type of name and I’ve come from overseas myself.

Is the comment of “the candidate has no local experience” just another way of being racist and another way of trying to say sorry we are actually looking for a white Australian?

Local experience is important and here’s why.

Relationships

in property development in particular relationships are key. Relationship with local councils, local architects, town planners, consultants, and builders will allow the development manager to use the best companies and consultants at the best price. It will also allow for approvals to be made on projects and negotiations with local councils to be made a lot quicker and smoother.   

Knowledge and understanding

Knowledge of local planning laws, local systems, and programs is without a doubt beneficial and allows the newly hired recruit to hit the ground running. In an industry where time is money, it can save thousands.

Letdowns

currently working for a company that spent the early parts of its life only doing international placements I can tell you. Being let down by candidates that have had four rounds of interviews, visas approved and flights booked who then get cold feet and decide they don’t want to move internationally because of X, Y & Z is far too common. Employers know this as well, they understand moving internationally is a big deal and the risk of dropping out is high. Employers don’t want to waste their time and avoiding international candidates is a way of reducing the chance of having their time wasted.  

Of course dismissing an application due to having a “funny name” is ridiculous and in my mind racist, but dismissing them because they are currently overseas or have no local experience I’m not so sure.